Things You'll Need:
- A horse
- committment
- courage
- time
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Step 1
Horse riding is not a passive activity. It requires physical and active participation from the rider. Posture, balance and strength keep you in the saddle. Correct posture leads to balance and strength. Posture is the key to riding and staying in the saddle and develops the needed balance leading to the overall strength required to participate with the horse. Lazy posture is a fall waiting to happen. A lazy rider is both a danger to the horse, others and the rider.
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Step 2
To attain the correct posture in the saddle you must sit on your seat bones and pull your gluteus muscles outwards on either side.
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Step 3
Tilt your pelvis forward and your back downwards. Tilt your chin down while stretching the crown of your head upwards and your shoulders down. You are creating a straight line from the top of your head to your seat bones. Sit on your seat bones and pull your gluteus muscles outwards on either side.
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Step 4
The inside of your knees and thigh bones should lie against the saddle. Never squeeze! Your legs should hang loosely against the horse. The toe of your foot should be in line with your knee and the ball of your foot should be on the stirrup iron and the heel lowered towards the ground. The toe and heel should be in a straight line parallel with the horse.
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Step 5
While your posture must be erect you must not sit stiffly. Keep your shoulders back and down and look straight ahead between the ears of the horse, while your arms hang naturally next to your sides with your elbows close to your waist. Your forearms point towards the horses mouth, your wrists turn outwards a little with the thumbs turned upwards.
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Step 6
Your head should be loosely balanced on your spine. Think of it as a bobble head. Your chin should neither be up nor down. Your head is the heaviest part of your body and will easily pull you out of the saddle, if you tilt it downwards.
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Step 7
NEVER lean on the pommel or withers. This will throw you off balance. Any deviation from the correct posture that puts you in a foetal position is a fall waiting to happen! NEVER hang onto nor pull on the reins. They are not meant to keep you in the saddle, but ONLY serve to guide the horse. ALWAYS keep a very light contact with the bit and let your hands follow the horse's mouth.
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Step 8
ALWAYS stay calm around and on your horse. Horses sense fear easily and react unexpectedly when they do. Practice your posture at home on a balance ball. Concentrate on exercises that strengthen your core and thighs. Strength is derived from your core, back, gluteus maximus and thigh muscles. This strength keeps you in the saddle and in harmony with all the horse's gaits and movements.
